Duct tape is the poor college student’s best friend. The heavy duty adhesive is great for repairing your second-hand goods, quick-fix organization, DIY projects and costumes, party planning, and even medical emergencies. Read on for 100 awesome ways to use duct tape in your dorm room, and why you need a major stash at all times.
DIY
These DIY projects allow you to turn duct tape into belts, cosmetics bags, koozies, photo albums, and a lot more.
- Make a belt: Control your constant college weight fluctuations by making a larger belt with duct tape.
- Zippo duct tape case: Keep your keys and student ID in one handy case when you master this project.
- iPod Nano case: Fashion a case to protect your iPod Nano with duct tape.
- Zipper pouch: Create a makeup bag or pencil case by following this DIY project with duct tape.
- Luggage tag: Put your mark on your backpack or traveling bags with a duct tape luggage tag.
- Wallet: Make yourself the infamous duct tape wallet out of colorful duct tape.
- Accordion-style photo album: Make a flip photo album for your purse with this duct tape DIY guide.
- Soda can holder: Make a soda or beer can koozie out of duct tape.
- Beer helmet: Take your beer helmet to the game so you never have to get up for a beer.
- Cell phone case: Protect your cell phone by making it a special duct tape case.
- Duct tape cuff: This cute bracelet makes a cool accessory for yourself or as a gift.
- Hair clip: Make a flower hair accessory with duct tape.
- Duct Taylors: Use cardboard and duct tape to make your own version of Chuck Taylors, the favorite shoe of college kids.
- Bracelet: Make friendship bracelets out of duct tape for a cheap gift for your roommate.
- Beach bag: Make a heavy duty beach bag out of duct tape.
Health and Medical
As a crazy college student, you’ve probably found yourself in a few embarrassing and harmful situations. Use these duct tape home remedies to help sprains, minor cuts, blisters, twisted ankles, and more.
- Bandages: Tape toilet paper over your wound with duct tape.
- Brace: Duct tape can be used to brace twisted ankles and knees, too.
- Wart removal: Duct tape is a homemade remedy for getting rid of warts.
- Splint: Splint an injured limb by taping it to a stick or ruler.
- Blister prevention: Cover your heels with duct tape to avoid getting blisters from your shoes.
- Nail fungus cure: If you have a nail fungus, wrapping the area with duct tape may help cure your condition.
- Wrist guard: Use this duct tape wrist guard to protect against carpal tunnel.
- Ingrown toenail: Tape back the skin around an ingrown toenail to relieve pain and allow the nail to grow out properly.
- Stabilizing bandage: Keep a roll of duct tape and a towel or cheesecloth on hand when you get hurt playing sports. You can tightly tape the towel around your knee to stabilize it like an Ace bandage.
Cleaning and Organization
It’s tough to keep a teensy dorm room clean when two college kids are living in it. Luckily, duct tape can help you with dusting and organization.
- Dust: Use duct tape to pick up dust and dirt around your room
- Flypaper: If you have a pest problem, leave out strips of duct tape to catch bugs.
- Tape wires together: Keep unruly wires more organized by taping them together.
- Make your own Post-Its: Make Post-It notes that actually stick.
- Make a shelving system: Use duct tape to make shelves or a cubby system.
Security, Privacy and Protection
Use duct tape to keep your belongings and yourself safe on campus.
- Hidden storage: Make a hidden storage pocket under your bed for cash and other important items.
- Reinforce your locks: Tape a door shut with duct tape to prevent someone from getting in or out
- Make duct tape blinds: Put duct tape all over your windows so that no one can see in.
- Duct tape your computer: Put duct tape over your keyboard or duct tape your laptop shut to avoid intruders.
- Duct tape body: Create a body out of duct tape to make it look like someone’s home even when you’re out all night.
- Duct tape brass knuckles: Scare intruders with these duct tape brass knuckles.
Entertainment
Here, you’ll find ideas for using duct tape for game boards, basketballs, Guitar Hero and more.
- Make a basketball: Attach a basketball goal to your door or a wall, and use the duct tape ball for practice.
- Guitar Hero Faceplate: Make a faceplate for your Guitar Hero.
- Duct tape game board: These instructions show you how to make a game board for chess, backgammon and draughts.
- Nintendo DS game case: Make a carrying case for your Nintendo DS.
- Pencil slingshot: Keep yourself amused during study breaks with this pencil slingshot.
Parties and Social
Believe it or not, duct tape can hep you become the life of the party too. Use duct tape to make disco balls, coolers, and costumes.
- Trick-or-Treat bag: Make a Halloween trick-or-treat bag that looks like candy corn.
- Rose: Give your sweetie a rose that’ll never die when you follow this duct tape tutorial.
- Prom clothes: Throw a college formal and make your own clothes using this guide.
- Move around your speakers: Tape your speakers to the wall for surround sound.
- Disco ball: Make your own duct tape disco ball with glow-in-the-dark tape.
- Make a mask: Make a duct tape Batman mask or any other kind of mask for parties and pranks.
- Duct Tape Whip: Make a whip as part of a costume, or for, you know.
- Playing card case: Keep your playing cards handy for all those drinking games.
- Duct Tape Apron: Bake cookies and goodies for all your friends using this apron.
- Cooler: Bring this duct tape cooler to parties and bar-b-ques.
School Work and Supplies
Keep your school work and your academic work on track with duct tape by using it to make pencil cases, folders, bookcovers, and more.
- Bookcover: Here you’ll learn how to make functional bookcovers with duct tape.
- Bookmark: Keep your place in your school books with this hefty bookmark.
- Make a mousepad: Don’t waste money on a mousepad: make one out of duct tape instead.
- Folder: This tutorial shows you how to make a folder that’ll last.
- Lunch bag: Take your lunch to class in a heavy duty, duct tape lunch bag.
- Pencil case: Keep your pens and pencils organized with a duct tape case.
- Make a binder: Make a binder with pockets and sheet protectors out of duct tape.
- Tear-away scratch pad: Make a scratch pad for to-do lists and reminders.
- Checkbook cover: This checkbook cover is made of duct tape.
- Book belt: Make a book belt to strap your books together with duct tape.
- UMD Case: Make it harder to lose your UMD when you have a nifty duct tape case.
- Duct Tape Pocket Notepad: Jot down notes and homework assignments with this duct tape notepad.
- Laptop sleeve: Protect your laptop with a duct tape carrying case.
- Purse or messenger bag: This guide shows you how to make a bag out of duct tape.
- Labels: Label books, disks, and other supplies with duct tape.
- Clutch: An oversized clutch like this one is great for storing folders and papers.
Repair Work
Duct tape is a valuable tool for repairing everything from wires to leaks to couches.
- Tape wires together: Repair spliced wires by taping them together.
- Repair book binding: When your used books start to come undone, repair the binding with duct tape.
- Repair leaks: Repair leaks with duct tape.
- Reinforce windows: Keep the draft out by taping windows shut at the bottom.
- Fix broken game cartridges: Use duct tape to fix broken game cartridges.
- Tape up ripped furniture: Tape holes or slits in couches with duct tape.
- Reinforce the phone cord: If your phone cord starts to look weak, wrap duct tape around it.
- Hold batteries in place: Tape batteries to the back of the remote control to keep them in place.
- Repair a DVD player: Tape the DVD disk tray shut if it keeps popping open.
- Reinforce light fixtures: Keep shaky lamps and light fixtures in place with duct tape.
- Patch up holes in your clothes or shoes: Duct tape makes your clothes and shoes last longer.
Personal
Here, you’ll learn about ways to use duct tape to keep clean, presentable and in shape.
- Tie: Look your best in front of professors when you make a tie out of duct tape.
- Flip flops: A college student’s best friend, flip flops become even more utilitarian with a duct tape makeover.
- Shoelace: When you lose or wear out your shoelaces, replace them with the duct tape version.
- Push up bra: Give yourself a little lift by using duct tape to make a push up bra.
- Dental floss: Use the strings that hang off pieces of duct tape to floss your teeth.
- Glasses case: Protect your glasses with a duct tape glasses case.
- Make signs: Make signs to put up on your door and all over your room with duct tape.
- Guitar strap: Personalize your guitar by making your own guitar strap.
- Heel softener: Soften your cracked heels by taping them up overnight.
- Arm and Leg Weights: These duct tape arm and leg weights can be used from the comfort of your own dorm room.
Decorating
Decorate your dorm room with duct tape photo albums, flowers, and furniture.
- Picture Frame: Decorate your dorm room with photos of friends and family with this duct tape project.
- Rose pen: Learn how to add little rose appliques to pens and other small items here.
- Couch: Reupholster your couch with duct tape.
- Light switch plate: This duct tape light switch plate allows you to scribble all over it.
- Duct tape sculpture: Create a duct tape sculpture of you and your roommate for your dorm room.
- Hanging posters: Use duct tape as a wall adhesive for posters and other items.
- Bulletin board: Make a thick mat of duct tape that you can attach to the wall for your own bulletin board.
- Wallpaper: Wallpaper your room with duct tape.
- Put up Christmas lights: Instead of tacks, use duct tape to hang up Christmas lights.
- Make seat cushions: Make your own seat cushions or throw pillows out of duct tape.
- Duct tape figures: Make little duct tape figurines to hang all over your room.
- Duct tape ornament: During the holidays, you can decorate your room with these ornaments.
- Sweet coffee table: Make a coffee table out of duct tape, cardboard and a stolen street sign.
